What is an r4 card for the Nintendo DS?

I have a DSi and obviously I want to be able to play ds roms. What is the difference between an r4 and a normal SDHC card? Most importantly, do I need a r4 card to play roms? And are there any that are completely compatible/safe to use with a DSi XL? And as for SD cards, how do they work with r4s? and are there certain sd cards that aren’t compatible with r4s? Will a 8GB work or does it matter how big or what brand? I also hear about firmware. What firmware is compatible with r4 and SD cards, and how do i tell what firmware i have?
i almost forgot, do i need a micro sdhc card to use an r4? or can i just use any type of sd/sdhc card?